Multiple-reel attachment for moving-picture machines.



L. D. GILLETTE. MULTIPLE REEL ATTACHMENT FOR MOVING PICTURE MACHINES.APPLICATION HLED MAR. 29, I917.

1,291,29. Patented Jan. 21,1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

L. D. GILLETTE. MULTIPLE REEL ATTACHMENT FOR MOVING PICTURE MACHINES.APPLICATION HLED MAR. 29. I917.

1,29 1,829. Patented Jan. 21, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

LEROY D. GILLETTE, WOODHULL, ILLINOIS.

MULTIPLE-REEL ATTACHMENT FOR MOVING-PICTURE MACHINES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEROY D. GILLETTE, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of WVoodhull, in the county of Henry and State ofIllinois, have inventeda certain new and useful Multiple-Reel Attachmentfor Moving-Picture Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an attachment to moving-picture machines by theuse of which several films (which come to the producer, as a rule, in1000 feet lengths,) may be wound upon a single reel and run thencecontinuously through the projector.

One of the objects of the invention is to run continuously a filmconsisting of several reels, whereby the delay caused by changing reelsis obviated.

Another object is to provide means by the use of which the producer maygive, with a single machine, an exhibit without interruptions-a resultattained heretofore only by the use of two sets of machines.

A still further object is to save the operator a large amount of hurriedwork, either in changing reels or in changing machines.

A further object is to transform a hand driven machine into amotor-driven one.

It is an object to so arrange the elements constituting my improvementsthat the several films will passto and run through the projector inproper orderi. 6., initial ends first.

Another objectis to provide-means whereby the continuous or united filmmay be run backward and the individual parts thereof severally woundupon individual reels adapted and purposed therefor.

Many minor objects will presently appear. Some of these will be obviousand others particularly pointed out.

The invention consists, substantially, in improvements of the naturehereinafter disclosed.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a favored embodiment ofmy invention:

Figure 1 is a side elevation;

Fig. 2, a front elevation;

Fig. 3, an enlarged sectional detail presently more fully described; and

Fig. 4, a top-plan detail.

Coming now to'a detailed description of the drawings, 2 indicates asupporting frame comprising front legs 3, 3, rear legs 4, 4, andconnecting strips 5 and 6.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed march 29, 1917.

Patented J an. 21, 1919. Serial No. 158,291.

7 designates the usual lamp-house and 8 the projector, mounted on atable 9 fulcrumed approximately at its inidlength, by means of rod 10,between the legs 4, 4'. 11, 11 indicate a pair of legs secured one toeach corner of the table. Each leg 11 comprises an upper section 11 ofapertures 11", and a lower section 11 having a series of apertures 11.Each pair of coacting sections is adjustably united by means of a bolt12 and nut 12' in an evident manner, whereby the table may be tilted onsaid fulcrum to direct the lenses properly toward the screen.

15 designates one of the reels on which the films are received from thesupply concern. It is fixed on a shaft 16 on which is also fixed apulley 17. The axle 16 may be slipped into oppositely arranged bearingsin the legs 3, 3 by means of slots 18 cut therein.

19, 19 designate a pair of sidebars connected at their respective endseach to a front and a rear log. 20 indicates a motor mounted on a block21 secured on the rear ends of said bars. 22, 22 indicate a pair ofoppositely arranged bearings, one on each bar 19, 19. 23 denotes acountershaft mounted in said bearings. A sheave 24 is fixed on the shaft23 adjacent the leg, 3'. An ex ansion spring 24 embraces said shaft, one0 its ends bearing against a fixed collar 25 and the other against aloosely mounted annulus 26 both of which are also on said shaft. 27designates a slip-disk or pulley loosely mounted on said shaft. 28indicates a clutch-block having a plurality of grooved-sections 28 2828, gradually increasing in diameter. Its inner face is recessed toprovide shoulders 29 adapted to engage apin 30 fixed in the shaft 23,and its outer end is recessed to provide shoulders 31 adapted to beengaged by the teeth of a slotted clutch-member 32 slidable by means ofa pin 33 on said shaft. 34 designates a collar and 35 a pin extendingtransversely through the shaft. The clutch-member 32 may be thrown intoor out of engagement With the coacting member 28 by means of a rod 36having a knob 37. The shaft 23 is driven by a belt'38 which embraces abalance-wheel 39 mounted on said shaft, and also the drivepulley 20 onthe motor 20.

Seated in bearings provided by cutting arcuate slots 44 in the rear legs4, 4' is a shaft 40 on Whichis fixed a reel or magazine 41 having aprojecting hub 42 traversed having a series.

and driven by a spring-belt 43 which, because of its elasticity. may bemade to engage either of the pulley-sections 28, 28 or 28, by which itis driven. The pulley 17 is driven by a'belt46 actuated by a sheave 47fixed on the shaft 23.

A belt 48 embraces the sheave-block 28 and the sheave 49 on theprojector. v

A double sheave 50 and an idler 51 are mounted on a shaft 51' seated inbearings in the legs 3, 3'. 52 denotes a belt deriving motion from thesheave 24 and driving'the sheave 50. Mounted in bearings 53in the legs4, 4' is a removable shaft 5 1 on which are fixed a sheave 55 and afilm-display reel 56. A belt 57 driven by one side' of the double sheave50 embraces the sheave 55 to thus drive the reel 56.

-58 indicates the film, comprising a plurality of parts, each usually1000 feet in length, the initial end of each of which is cemented orotherwise secured to the terminal end of the preceding one.

For the purposes of this specification the reel 15 may be. termed ashipping-reel, inasmuch as it is one of those on which the individualfilms or film-sections are shipped;

the reel 41 may be termed the reversing-reel, for the films are reeledupon it in reverse order from those on. the several shipping reels; andthe reel 56 may be desi ated the feed-reel, inasmuch as the unitsfilmsections are fed therefrom to the projector.

In operation, the axle of the primary shipping-reel, on which is woundthe film illustrating first part of the picture, is

passed through the slots 18 in the legs 3, 3

and seated on its bearings. Its initial end is then removably engagedwith the hub 42 of the reversing reel in any suitable manner. Upon themotor 20 being started, the film will be run onto the reel 41. Thismovement and some of the succeeding ones are, in order to avoidconfusion, not illustrated. The film is shown as in the process of beingexhibited, and the several arrows indicate the directions of themovements of the adj a- 0811 13 elements. en its terminal has beenreached, a reel 15 containing the second part of the picture issubstituted for the one just emptied, and the terminal end of the firststrip of film cemented to the initial end of thesecond sheet. Thisprocedure is followed until all the individual film-strips are unitedinto a continuous film upon the reel 41. Thereupon the terminal ofthe'last film-sheet is to be secured to the hub ofthe feed-reel 56, themotor, (whichwas stopped during each of the operations just described,)again started, and the continuous film will be wound upon the reel 56,its initial end being the last to be wound and therefore accessible. tobestarted the film is to be passed through the projector 8 in the usualmanner, its

When the exhibit is naeneae initial end thus passing first, and'said endmore rapidly of course than ltWOlllCl run when unwinding from the innercoils; therefore I provide the slip-disk 26, which may be governed byadjustments of the, spring 25 to cause the disk to runfast, slow, or atany intermediate speed desired.

When the show has closed the accessible terminal of thefilm is securedto the fastener (not shown) common to'all shipping reels, and thatfilm-section which was last attached to a preceding one, wound on one ofthe reels 15. The cement fastening is then dissolved a'ndthe reel andits contained film removed. Each succeeding film-section is to belikewise'separated from the preceding one, and each wound upon one ofthe shipping reels. It is to be noted that the terminal or last'end ofeach of the sections is the one to be'secured to the shipping reel, andthat therefore its initial end will be the last to be wound. andtherefore accessible and in propel-order to be run through machines ofeitherthis or preceding types. When the film is being. wound ontotheuseveral shipping-reels the belts 52 and 57 may be disengaged fromthe pulleys. The belt 46 maybe disengaged during the time the picture isbeing exhibited.

. If in reel ng the film either ontoor ofi from the reel 56there isunusual strain placed upon the film it would, unless provisionthereagainst was inade', be torn or broken. In order to prevent this llprovide the slip-pulley 27 which is held lightly in contact with thefaces of the blocks 26 and 28 by means of the spring 25.

The clutch-member 32 is thrown into or out of engagement with the member28 by means of the rod 36, button 37 and link 37'.

I realize that considerable variation is possible in the withoutdeparting materially from the spirit of my invention.

arrangement herein shown and described exdetails of this construction.

cept as pointed out in the following claims,

wherein it is my intention to claim as broadly as is permitted by thestate of art all the novelty inherent in the invention.

I therefore claim as new:

' 1. The combination in a moving-picture machine, with a sectional film,of a ship-- Therefore I do not intend to limit myself to the specificstructure or ping-reel on which a section of the film is wound, areversing-reel on which the film is wound from the shipping-reel, and afeed-reel upon which the film is wound from the reversing-reel.

2. The combination in a moving-picture machine, with a sectional film,of a plurality of shipping reels on each of which one of the filmsections may be wound, a holder wherein said reels may be successivelyplaced, a reversing-reel on which the films are wound from the shippingreels, and a feed-reel upon which the films are wound from the reversingreel.

3. The combination in a moving-picture machine,

of a shipping-reel and a film wound thereon, means for unwinding it andthus reversing the order in which the film was wound upon theshipping-reel, and means from which the film passes in its proper orderto the projector.

4. The combination in a moving-picture machine, of a shipping-reel and afilm wound thereon, means for unwinding the film therefrom andsimultaneously rewinding it in the reverse order from that in which itwas wound upon said reel, and means from which the film passes in itsproper order to the projector.

5. The combination in a moving-picture machine, of a shipping-reel and afilm wound thereon, a reel onto which the film may be wound in a reverseorder, and means whereby it passes through the projector in an ordercontrary to that last recited.

6. The combination in a moving-picture machine, of a shipping-reel and afilm wound thereon, a reel onto which the film may be wound in a reverseorder from that in which it was Wound on the shipping reel, a feed-reelonto which the film may be thence wound in the same order in which itwas wound upon the shipping reel, and means for simultaneously rotatingthe shipping-reel and the second recited reel.

7. The combination in a moving-picture machine, of a shipping-reel and afilm wound thereon, a reel onto which the film may be wound in a reverseorder from that in which it was wound on the shipping reel, a feed-reelonto which the film may be thence wound in the same order in which itwas wound upon the shipping reel, and means for simultaneously rotatingthe two last recited reels.

8. In a moving-picture machine, and in combination a film, a reel fromwhich the Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each,

film is fed through the projector, a reel onto which it is wound, afterpassing through the projector, in reverse order from that in which itwas wound on the first recited reel, and a shipping-reel onto which thefilm is wound in the same order in which it was wound upon the firstrecited reel.

9. In a moving-picture machine, and in combination a film, a reel fromwhich the film is fed through the projector, a reel onto which it iswound, after passing through the projector, in reverse order from thatin which it was wound on the first recited reel, a shipping-reel ontowhich the film is wound in the same order in which it was wound upon thefirst recited reel, and plural means for actuating said reels.

10. In a moving-picture machine, the combination, of a shipping-reel,clutchmechanism from whence it derives rotary movement, a film wound onsaid reel, means for changing the order of motion of the film, and meansfor again changing the order of movement of the film, the film passingfrom the last recited element to the pro-- jector, and means forthrowing the clutchmechanism into or out of operative position.

11. .In a moving-picture machine having a frame adapted to supportsuccessively placed shipping-reels, each of which carries one unit of asectional film, the combination with said reels and film units of areversingreel adapted to successively receive the film units after theyhave passed in predetermined order from the successively placedshipping-reels and after their adjacent ends have been united, and afeed-reel onto which the united film-units are wound after passing fromthe reversing-reel.

12. In a moving-picture machine having a frame adapted to supportsuccessively placed shipping-reels, each of which carries one unit of asectional film, the combination with said reels and film units of areversing-reel adapted to successively receive the film units after theyhave passed in predetermined order from the successively placedshipping-reels and after their adjacent ends have been united, afeed-reel onto which the united film-units are wound after passing fromthe reversing-reel, and a projector through which the united film-unitspass from the feed-reel in exhibiting order.

In witness whereof I hereto subscribe my name this 14th day of March,1917.

LEROY D. GILLETTE.

by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

